Hair retainer



Sept. 4, 1956 R. c. wooD 2,761,457

' HAIR RETAINER Filed Oct. 6, 1955 INVENTOR. R01: Er E2- WJIC BY W 43m United States Patent' HAIR RETAmER Robert C. Wood, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to Promo Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 6, 1955, Serial No. 538,934

Claims. (Cl. 132-52) This invention relates to hair retainer and it comprises a device, usually in the from of a side comb or the like, for retaining the hair in desired configuration consisting essentially of a plurality of combined units formed of resilient strands, said units being arranged side-by-side and consisting of loops at the top and substantially straight depending side members substantially engaging each other under the spring action of the loops, at least one of the side members of each unit being off-set at its lower end so as to engage the lower end of the adjacent side member, these engaging lower ends being twisted together to unite the elements into a hair-retaining unit, the twisted ends being coated with an adherent material serving to smooth over the undulations of the twists and to make teeth having rounded tips; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

Several difierent designs of hair retaining combs have been proposed. Some of these are formed from a single strand of Wire having a plurality of adjacent loops at the top and pinched bends at the bottom which in effect form teeth. While some of these designs have been provided With sections where adjacent strands have been twisted, these twisted portions have been placed some distance above the teeth. The teeth have always been made as smooth as possible at their ends. In some cases the pinched bends have been filled with solder to fill the central ridge between the adjacent wires which form the teeth. This has been done apparently on the theory that the teeth should be as smooth as possible so they will produce minimum friction as the retainers are inserted into the hair.

I have discovered, however, that the most important point at which to provide friction is at the lower ends of the teeth, not along the upper ends of the side members where the spring action, produced by the upper loops, effectively prevents the hair from slipping. At their tips the teeth are always spaced some distance apart and it is at this point where the hair first starts to slip. It is also at this point where many of the short hairs are engaged by the retainers and if any of these become disengaged the result is unsightly.

I have further discovered that retainers of the general type described can be made conveniently by first forming or purchasing a plurality of bobby-pins or individual elements having the general Shape of hobby-pins, mounting them in a clamp side-by-side with the loops at the top and the lower ends touching each other, then twisting the lower ends to combine the units into a retainer or comb, followed by dipping the twisted ends in a liquid coating material. The coating covers the sharp ends of the pins and the twisted portions so that there is no tendency for the hair to become caught in the twists. Any of the conventional lacquer compositions, such as cellulose acetate or cellulose nitrate compositions, can be used for coating the lower ends of the pins which form the teeth of the combs. It is also possible to dip the twisted ends in molten solder or tin to produce a suitable coating.

fmice My invention can be explained in greater detail by reference to the accompanying drawing which shows, more or less diagramatically, two forms of my hair retainer.

In this showing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of my hair retainer,

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the retainer of Fig. 1 showing the arc in which it may be bent,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial view of one of the teeth of the retainer showing the twists and plastic coating in more detail, while Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modification in which the loops at the top are symmetrically spaced with respect to the teeth and side members.

In the various figures like parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, it will be seen that my retainer comprises a plurality of loops 1, at the top, with depending side members .2 which are straight and are normally held in contact with each other by the spring action of the loops, much as in the conventional hobby-pin. Each loop with its two depending side members forms a unit, adjaceht units being joined at the lower ends of the side members by twists 3 formed by twisting together adjacent lower ends as the units are arranged side-by-side in a clamp, for example. 4

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 only one of'the side members at its lower end is bent at 4 to form an off-set straight portion whose distance from the other straight side member corresponds substantially to the diameter of the loop at the top. When the units are arranged side by side the off-set portions of each unit thus engage with the lower ends of the straight-sided side members of adjacent units. These lower ends can therefore be easily twisted together to form the twists 3 and to unite the individual units to form the hair retainer. In making the twists the extreme ends of adjacent side members are gripped tightly in the jaws of a twisting device so that these extreme ends are usually not twisted. They are pressed tightly together by the twisting device so they form teeth 5 which are relatively sharp. The final step in manufacturing my retainers is to dip the twisted ends in a liquid material, such as a lacquer or a molten material, such as solder, tin or a molten plastic, which will harden on cooling. The resultant coating 6, seen best in Fig. 3, smooths out the ridges or undulations of the twists and produces rounded tips 7 at the ends of the teeth. Thus these teeth can readily be inserted in the hair, strands of which are then held firmly between the side members of the retainer due to the spring action of the loops. Any short hairs, which are usually the last to be caught by retainers of this type, are retained between the twists much more elfectively than they would be retained in the absence of the twists.

In Fig. 4 a modification is shown in which the loops 1a are symmetrically positioned with respect to the twisted lower ends 3a of the side members 2a. The lower ends of both side members are bent outwardly at 4a to form symmetrical off-set portions, the distances between Vwhich correspond substantially to the diameters of the loops. These off-set portions thus engage with the ofiset portions of the lower ends of adjacent units when these are placed side-by-side preparatory to joining them by twisting.

In both embodiments of my retainer the number of teeth is one greater than the number of loops at the top. The end teeth at either side can be made either with Vor without twists, as is evident by comparing Fig. lfwith Fig. 4. If these end teeth are provided with'tfwists, Vas shown generally at 8 ,in Fig. 1, it is necessary to 'provide Q- short strahds of wire on both 'sides from which to make the twists 'and then to remove the upper "ends 'just "above the twists so no stumps are left. The coating of plastic or metal covers over the cut ends smoothly soI there is no dan'g'e'r of the hair catching on the tee'th. lIilsually prefe'r to leave the end 'teeth without tivis't's, a's' se'eri t'l in Fi'g. 4.

While I have described what I consider to be `the best' embodirnents of my hair retainer, it is e'v'idet, 'of course, th'atvarious modific'ati'ons can b'e made 'in the so cific structures which have been described vwithout depI-rr .ng from the "pur'view of this inven'tion. Th'us niy feti'ners can be made of 'ny width desire'd from ay 'suitable n'urnhe'r 'of units. The 'retain'e'rs 'can be 'bofvlved i'n'c'ross section 'or the units may lie i'ri a `plai1e The 'disfhce between theloops and the teeth can also be v'arid fcosiderably. The l'o'ops 'can bema'd'e offahy desired 'hape so lohg 'as 'they provide 'the'des'ired spring action'bet'we'en the depending side rfre'rrlbers.V The ret'airiers are usull'y ma'de 'of metal 'wire of round 'cross 'section btjhe'y 'oan be made from fl'attened filament' if ede'si're'd. They also can Vbe made of any other 'resili-em material which eafi be drawn and 'twisted into the forms `'sh'ov'vrrin 'the drawin'g.l 'Other r'no'difications of my inventio'rY'whi'ch 'fall within the s'cope of the following 'cla'ims'will 'b'e Tmm'ediatel'e'viderit to those skilled i'n the art.

What I cla'im is:

' 1. A hair retainer 'compri'si'ng 'a pluralit'y of 'combined units formed 'of resilie'nt strands, s'aid units being arrang'ed side-b'y1i'd'e and consisting of Ioops at the top and's'ubstantially straight depending side members subs'tantilly 4 t engaging each other under the spring action of the loops, t I'e''siit oe 'Of the's'ai' members 'Of e'ah unit being 'offset at its lower end so as to engage the lower end of the adjacent side member, these engaging lower ends being twisted together to unite the elements into a hairretaining unit, the twisted ends being coated with an adherent material serving to smooth over the undulations of the twists and to make Vteeth having rounded tips.

2. The hair retainer of claim l wherein the outermost units on`both Vside of the hair `re'tainer have dependingside members the outermost of which have straight, untwisted lower ends. i

3. The hair retainer of claim 'l wh'erein the outermost units on both sides of the hair .retainer have depending side members the outermost of which are twisted about short separate strands.

4. The hair retainer of claim 1 wherein one of the depending 'side members of each unit is straight, the loops being 'a'rrnged to one side of said straight side member's, the lower ends of the other depending side 'members of each unit being ofi-set towards the straight 'side members of the 'adjacent units a distance substantially equaling the diameter of the loops.

5. The hair `'retainer of elaim 1 wherein both of 'the de'pending side members of each unit are syrnmetrically off-set at their lower ends a distance substantially equalin'g one-half the diameter of the loops, theiloops being symine'tri'cally 'positioned above the upper ends of the dep'ending 'side members.

No references fcite'd. 

